The Academic Common Market (ACM) is an interstate agreement among selected Southern states for sharing academic programs at both the baccalaureate and graduate levels. Participating states are able to make arrangements for their residents who qualify for admission to enroll in specific programs in other states on an in-state tuition basis. Participating states are Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
If you are not an Alabama resident and you wish to enroll at UAB as an Academic Common Market student, you must 1) be accepted for admission to a UAB major to which your state has obtained access for its residents through ACM and 2) receive a certification/approval from your home state.
The following undergraduate programs participate in the ACM. If your home state is not listed as an eligible state for your particular program, it may be that your home state has yet to receive a request to review your particular major. It is the responsibility of the student, not UAB, to submit a request to your home state. You will not know if your state is eligible until you submit a request to your home state coordinator.
| Program | Degree | States Currently Eligible |
|---|---|---|
| Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness | B.S. | Louisiana |
| Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology | B.S. | Tennessee |
| Biomedical Sciences | B.S. | Mississippi |
| Cancer Biology | B.S. | Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee |
| Digital Forensics | B.S. | Louisiana |
| Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Science | B.S. | Louisiana, Tennessee |
| Genetics and Genomic Sciences | B.S. | Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee |
| Immunology | B.S. | Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia |
| Industrial Distribution | B.S. | Arkansas, Mississippi |
| Industrial Distribution with a concentration in Medical Equipment and Supplies Distribution | B.S. | Kentucky, South Carolina |
| Materials Engineering | B.S.Mt.E. | Delaware, Louisiana, Mississippi |
| Musical Theatre | B.F.A. | Louisiana, Mississippi |
| Neuroscience | B.S. | Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma |
| Physics with a concentration in Applied Physics/Computation Physics | B.S. | Mississippi |
| Public Health with a concentration in Global Health | B.S. | Louisiana, Mississippi |
Application Process
Once you have been admitted to UAB, contact your home state ACM coordinator and provide all documentation required by your state. If approved, your home state ACM coordinator will send your ACM certification directly to UAB. Once received by UAB, we will do a final review to ensure you have been admitted to the approved major/program. UAB will then contact you via email to confirm your ACM status. To qualify for ACM benefits, certification of eligibility must be received prior to the first class day of the term; otherwise, in-state tuition status will be awarded beginning with the semester following receipt of your certification.
Policies
Undergraduate Students
If you have been admitted to a pre-major designation due to program requirements, you are not eligible for ACM benefits. However, you may qualify once fully admitted to the approved major/program.
If you change your major after being approved for ACM, you will immediately be reclassified as a non-resident student and charged the non-resident rate of tuition.
Undergraduate Scholarships
- If you are approved for ACM and have been awarded a scholarship, your scholarship will be changed from an out-of-state scholarship to an in-state scholarship. You will receive the in-state scholarship that you are eligible for based on your ACT/SAT score and your GPA. You can find the in-state scholarship amounts here.
- If you change your major, your scholarship will be changed back to the out-of-state amount and your ACM status will be terminated.
For more information about how to apply and a list of programs available, visit the Southern Regional Educational Board website or contact your admissions counselor.
Graduate Students
You must be fully admitted (not possessing any contingencies) to the graduate program for which you seek ACM certification. To qualify for ACM benefits, certification of eligibility must be received prior to the first class day of the term. ACM is only for first-time graduate students or graduate students transferring to UAB from another institution. If you change your program of study after being approved for ACM, you will be reclassified and charged the non-resident rate of tuition.
For more information about how to apply and a list of programs available, visit the Southern Regional Educational Board website or contact the UAB Graduate School.